While the New York Times and other Western media sources supporting the regime of billionaire convicted criminal, fugitive Thaksin Shinawatra attempt to claim protesters disrupted elections on Sunday, February 2, 2014, voter turnout at polling stations unaffected by the protests tell a different story entirely – especially in the north and northeast regions of Thailand where the regime allegedly draws the majority of its support and where polling went uninterrupted.
In Bangkok Post’s article, “Lowest voter turnout in Samut Sakhon,” it reports:
The Northeast region recorded the biggest overall turnout with 56.14 per cent, followed by the North with 54.03 per cent, the South with 44.88 per cent and Central region with 42.38 percent.
The Bangkok Post would compare these turnouts with 2011, where a 74% turnout was recorded, and stated that the overall voter turnout this year was 45%. It should be remembered that voting is compulsory in Thailand.
The abysmal voter turnout alone is an indictment of the illegitimacy of the ruling regime, since not voting was considered a sign of support for the ongoing “Occupy Bangkok” campaign, now entering its fourth week. However, those that did vote, did not necessarily vote for the ruling party – the only major party on the ballot. Many defaced their ballots in protest, while others checked “no vote.” While the regime is gloating over their “victory” in its one-party election, the fact that less than half of the population even bothered to vote means the vast majority of Thais have either lost faith in the process or are directly opposed to the regime, or perhaps both. Full story...
Related posts:
In Bangkok Post’s article, “Lowest voter turnout in Samut Sakhon,” it reports:
The Northeast region recorded the biggest overall turnout with 56.14 per cent, followed by the North with 54.03 per cent, the South with 44.88 per cent and Central region with 42.38 percent.
The Bangkok Post would compare these turnouts with 2011, where a 74% turnout was recorded, and stated that the overall voter turnout this year was 45%. It should be remembered that voting is compulsory in Thailand.
The abysmal voter turnout alone is an indictment of the illegitimacy of the ruling regime, since not voting was considered a sign of support for the ongoing “Occupy Bangkok” campaign, now entering its fourth week. However, those that did vote, did not necessarily vote for the ruling party – the only major party on the ballot. Many defaced their ballots in protest, while others checked “no vote.” While the regime is gloating over their “victory” in its one-party election, the fact that less than half of the population even bothered to vote means the vast majority of Thais have either lost faith in the process or are directly opposed to the regime, or perhaps both. Full story...
Related posts:
- Thai protestors disrupted the election and now the country is in total limbo...
- Thailand declares state of emergency in Bangkok...
- Thailand's history of endless protests...
- Thailand's history of endless protests...
- A tale of two protests: Ukraine and Thailand...
- How did Thailand’s progressive middle class end up calling for an end to...
No comments:
Post a Comment